Thank You Gift for Your Labor & Delivery Team

Let’s rewind! For my entire career, I have been in the customer service industry. From baby sitting at the age of 12 to managing hotels in my 20s and 30s, my current day job as a stay-at-home mama definitely serves two very particular littles bosses.

Habituated to serve, I was very adamant about bringing a thank you gift for our labor and delivery team. You are putting your comfort, life, and babies’ lives in the hands of these wonderful people. Why not bring a little thank you gift for them? You’re L&D team has the ability to make your delivery and recovery a wonderful memory or a horrible one. It is extra, but be the person who says “please” and “thank you.”

With both of my children, I focused on 5 things when creating the gift baskets:

1. Bring separate gift for all shifts
2. Think individually packaged items
3. Anything is better than nothing
4. Pre-made gift baskets are more expensive but absolutely okay to use
5. Thought and effort count

Why those 5 things?

• Hospitals work in shifts (just like hotels), and more often than not, you will not go in and pop out the baby before shift change. So, bringing two or three baskets is just a nice added treat for the different shifts that will be assisting you on your labor and delivery journey.
• Individually wrapped items are great for busy professionals. They can grab a few items and go about their work. I also feel like using individually wrapped items helps the basket look full and bountiful without paper or plastic fillers.
• I used old baskets I had around my house, and went to Amazon, Walmart and Costco to find deals to stuff the baskets. A small gesture goes a long way for so many people. It doesn’t need to be big but I do think coming up with something will set a good first impression (or second impression, if you are like me and come in begging for an epidural).
• Our first was a December baby, so we did use pre-made gift baskets for our medical team; they were great! I went to Costco, picked up two huge baskets, and off we went. Amazon also has wonderful ones you can add to your registry, and boom - a perfect gift for a family member to give. The only downfall is you do pay more for less items.

Disclaimer: This does not mean you will have the best care or the best delivery story. I definitely had good and bad moments from both my children. This is simply about showing thoughtful appreciation to your caregivers.